Fresh from Tribeca, we're bringing you two extraordinary conversations celebrating the power of music, storytelling, and live performance. Adrienne sits down with Grammy, Tony, and Emmy nominee Sara Bareilles to discuss her latest work, creative inspiration, and the projects that continue to connect with audiences around the world.
Photos: Jordin Sparks Gets Ready to Return to Broadway in WAITRESS
As BroadwayWorld previously reported, recording artist Jordin Sparks will join the company of Broadway's Waitress in the role of Jenna from September 16 - October 27. This will mark her Broadway return after making her debut in 2010 in Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights.
"I've missed the Broadway stage ever since I took my final bow in In the Heights in 2010, said Sparks. "I am so excited to be able to return to it and serve up some musical pie!"
Sparks is a Grammy nominated, multi-platinum, singer/songwriter and actress who garnered worldwide attention at age 17 as winner of season six American Idol. Sparks' popular singles have sold over 10 million digital tracks and has received to date two BET Awards, one American Music Award, one BMI Songwriting Award, one People's Choice Award, nominated for two MTV Awards, and a Grammy. Sparks also made her film debut starring opposite Whitney Houston in the SONY Pictures film, Sparkle. She has since appeared in numerous films, television programs and specials as an actress, host and performer.
Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a Waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life such as "a??The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie" and "Betrayed by My Eggs Pie." When a baking contest in a nearby county - and a satisfying run-in with someone new - show Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness.
Sparks just met the press and BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big day!
Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski
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Podcasts
Special Episode: Sara Bareilles
She’s the Grammy-winning music powerhouse that’s been the soundtrack to our lives for more than two decades and produced some of the most moving music offerings of all-time – few greater than her Tony-recognised musical Waitress, which took New York by storm when it first began performances back in 2016.
#152 - Lorin Latarro - No Moving Chess Pieces
Choreographer/Director Lorin Latarro joins Behind the Awards to discuss the creation of the Chess Revival starring Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit and Nicholas Christopher. Listen for the origin story of getting Aaron Tevit’s paints on and her favorite moment of the show which happens right before One Night in Bancock.
This week on Odd Woman Out, Tutz sits down with Katie Lowes — aka Quinn Perkins from Scandal, . And in Inventing Anna? She’s the one who got scammed. From Hunting Wives to Waitress on Broadway, she’s done TV drama and Broadway — and she’s spilling on all of it.
Episode 6: Diane Paulus. This week on Odd Woman Out, Tutz sits down with Broadway icon Diane Paulus — the director behind Waitress, Jagged Little Pill, Masquerade and more. Recorded at the Welcome to Times Square Studio, this convo is smart, candid, and refreshingly real.
"Gay by May" (w/ Jenna Ushkowitz)
Kicking off the first recording of 2026 with Tina Cohen-Chang herself, Jenna Ushkowitz! Jenna and I talk about everything: how she would approach a Gleeboot, Tina's transformation throughout the series, and her and Tina's long history with gay men.
Christmas on Broadway with the Merry & Kind Desi Oakley
Broadway's Desi Oakley joins The Art of Kindness podcast for our holiday extravaganza! The Wicked and Waitress star gets festive with host Robert Peterpaul about: Her new holiday single Christmas on the Coast + holiday favorites.
Episode 5: Shoshana Bean. This week on Odd Woman Out, Tutz is sitting down with Shoshana Bean—Grammy winner, Broadway icon, and certified vocal powerhouse behind her new album Only Smoke. No chill. No filter. Just truth.
Ep420 - Kimiko Glenn: Hang Out Forever and the Art of Being Unapologetically You
Kimiko Glenn brings a mix of honesty, humor, and delightful chaos to this conversation, opening up about the vulnerable journey behind her new single Hang Out Forever and why the music video takes such a hilariously dark turn.
Episode 2: Caitlin Houlahan. This week on Odd Woman Out, Tutz is chatting with Caitlin Houlahan—Broadway fave and the unforgettable Dawn from Sara Bareilles’s Waitress. From the stage to New Dawn Rising, Caitlin’s journey is equal parts heart, hustle, and straight-up magic.
SPOTLIGHT: Stephanie Torns Brings Broadway to EPIC Players
This is a special presentation of The Spotlight Series, which highlights organization making a difference in the arts and beyond... Stephanie Torns is a Broadway actress known for her standout roles in the Broadway hits like Wicked and Waitress.
Encore Episode: Razzle Dazzle: A Brief History of Lighting Design, part 2.
This is the second half of this week's Encore presentation of my conversation with Tony-award-winning lighting designer Ken Billington. Last week, Ken received rave reviews for his lighting design of the new Broadway musical SMASH, which amazingly is his 108th Broadway production.


